Mr Joyce. Please explain the value of loyalty

[FBS1960]

Sitting in OOL departure lounge having breakfast with the family as we wait to depart JQ to Japan.

All seats booked as Starclass (D) and expecting to be able to access the JQ lounge in OOL only to be advised that I have to pay an additional $15 per head for the privilege.

After having a request to go from SG to WP ( I had a J class overseas flight 3 days after my SC expired) knocked back, having myself and wife stranded interstate during the QF grounding and now having to pay for the privilege of lounge access is another straw that may break this camels back.

Have flown J class with many airlines and have never been asked to cough up extra for lounge entry.

As a QP member for at least 10 years and paying annually for my family to be QP members I am seriously starting to question my mental state.

Maybe I am like the dog that gets the occasional kick just to show that things could be worse, or maybe I am just a whinger.

Either way I am now seriously contemplating DJ membership and Star Alliance airlines in the future.

Rant over
FBS

 

[dfcatch]

JQ - A Qantas Group Airline when it suits us - not you!

 

[Mal]

JQ - A Qantas Group Airline when it suits us - not you!

Oh so true. Business on jq is a joke, the 'pay for lounge and sc' add-on is a rort and the whole we are one when it suits us is astounding.

 

[Andyc]

For me, this year's decision to switch loyalty to VA and co. was solely based on trend. Over the last few years I've felt my benefits with QF were diminishing while I look at VA and see more and more benefits being added. Either plane will get me to my destination, but I would much rather reward the airline that is making more of an effort with Guest Experience.

 

[TheInsider]

QC membership is just that, Qantas Club, not JQ lounge!

 

[Andyc]

QC membership is just that, Qantas Club, not JQ lounge!

That's the Qantas argument too. But you can understand that a Qantas Club member who did receive lounge access at OOL when they first joined would feel that their benefits has been eroded when the Qantas Group operated lounge at OOL is no longer open to them.

 

[The Rok]

That's the Qantas argument too. But you can understand that a Qantas Club member who did receive lounge access at OOL when they first joined would feel that their benefits has been eroded when the Qantas Group operated lounge at OOL is now longer open to them.

You could probably get a refund if OOL was your home port or your main destination.

 

[MarkD]

QC membership is just that, Qantas Club, not JQ lounge!

As stated above jq is a qf company when it suits.. Fair dinkum, business class fare paid, yet they expect you to pay for lounge access...... They are dreaming, pathetic service, pathetic airline, pathetic all round really

 

[dfcatch]

QC membership is just that, Qantas Club, not JQ lounge!

Yes, and QF decided to only service that port with JQ, but still supposedly want us to choose a "Qantas Group Airline" rather than the opposition.

TheInsider - whilst you are technically correct - the OP's post is about loyalty.

And QF's "get-stuffed" attitude when it comes to FFs forced to fly JQ simply does nothing to encourage FFs to maintain loyalty to the "Qantas Group".

I'm with the OP on this - and I raised this very directly with Simon Hickey and Steph Tully at the AFF lunch (I specifically used the CNS-AKL route as an example).

They made very clear that QF doesn't give a rats about looking after FFs on JQ.

The implication was quite clear that they are so MEL-SYD-BNE focused in their modeling, they don't care about losing the group revenue from FFs that get shafted in ports that are only serviced by JQ and who choose to get better service from DJ/NZ or whoever.

I in turn made clear that they shouldn't be upset when I direct that spend to other airlines (whereas I would be more than happy to spend with the "Qantas Group" if they encouraged me to do so).

 

[Robert K]

Qantas can't please everyone. I'm glad they are still pleasing me.

 

[medhead]

Sounds like you didn't pay of business max. I hope you are not expecting points and status credits for your flight.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[samh004]

Sounds like you didn't pay of business max. I hope you are not expecting points and status credits for your flight.

That’s what I was wondering too. The OP says StarClass specifically, but the product is now Business Class. So could they have purchased an old StarClass fare before the switch (when did it happen again?) and therefore should actually be entitled, or have they purchased a cheap Business fare and are just uninformed?

If it’s the former, good luck getting the $15 per person back and get ready for a fight for points/SC!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I don't think the OP has the attitude they they should be entitled to use a JQ Lounge as a QP Member (although as QF does not serve OOL QP members IMHO should be allowed access to the JQ Lounge) but because they are travelling Star Class on JQ.

Pardon my ignorance, but when do you get to access a JQ Lounge without having to pay a fee? Is it not sufficient to be a OWS/OWE travelling on a JQ flight that day irrespective of whether your airfare is in whY or Star Class & also irrespective of whether it's a starter fare or Max bundle or whatever the hell they call it?

 

[medhead]

I think QF platinum get access to the OOL lounge, not sure about OWE (subtly different to Plat) or the CNS lounge.

(when did it happen again?)

I thought it was more than 12 months ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[nlagalle]

I think QF platinum get access to the OOL lounge, not sure about OWE (subtly different to Plat) or the CNS lounge.



I thought it was more than 12 months ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

The changes were in May 2011

 

[oz_mark]

I don't think the OP has the attitude they they should be entitled to use a JQ Lounge as a QP Member (although as QF does not serve OOL QP members IMHO should be allowed access to the JQ Lounge) but because they are travelling Star Class on JQ.

Pardon my ignorance, but when do you get to access a JQ Lounge without having to pay a fee? Is it not sufficient to be a OWS/OWE travelling on a JQ flight that day irrespective of whether your airfare is in whY or Star Class & also irrespective of whether it's a starter fare or Max bundle or whatever the hell they call it?

AFAIK, Jetstar Business Max gets access, and Qantas Platinum Frequent Flyers would get access without paying a fee.

 

[samh004]

The changes were in May 2011

So they could have booked a StarClass fare in April 2011 for January 2012? Hmm… we’ll have to wait for the OP to get to their destination to fill us in.

 

[airbridge]

QF will begin allowing QP members acces to JQ lounge from, I would guess, about 2020 when they're down to 10% of the domestic market and VA has the rest. Bless their cotton socks they do take a while to respond to custemer expectations.

I have to say I too find it odd that QF would pull out of OOL and then tell their QP members they can't use the OOL lounge. Simple thing that won't cost them a bomb yet they won't do it. Well not until 2020 anyway. Can't wait!

 

[elbarto]

QF will begin allowing QP members acces to JQ lounge from, I would guess, about 2020 when they're down to 10% of the domestic market and VA has the rest. Bless their cotton socks they do take a while to respond to custemer expectations.

I have to say I too find it odd that QF would pull out of OOL and then tell their QP members they can't use the OOL lounge. Simple thing that won't cost them a bomb yet they won't do it. Well not until 2020 anyway. Can't wait!

Lol, by 2020 QF as a brand will be non-existent, going by current trends, and replaced by JQ. Anyone who has QP life is stuffed.

 

[samh004]

QF will begin allowing QP members acces to JQ lounge from, I would guess, about 2020 when they're down to 10% of the domestic market and VA has the rest. Bless their cotton socks they do take a while to respond to custemer expectations.

I have to say I too find it odd that QF would pull out of OOL and then tell their QP members they can't use the OOL lounge. Simple thing that won't cost them a bomb yet they won't do it. Well not until 2020 anyway. Can't wait!

Sort of raises a different issue, as they had such grand plans for the JQ Lounge, with more than one and having a membership, like QP… but other than completely failing in that regard, the lack of a partnership between the two brands when it doesn’t suit isn’t helping things.

I do wonder what the loadings would be like on JQ (ie. if it’s busy already, perhaps increased capacity) if they’d allowed QP members the use of that lounge. It certainly would have kept them with QF/JQ…

Alas, off topic.